William johnston



(No Model.)

W. JOHNSTON.

CAR COUPLING.

No. 350,060. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

N. PETERS. Pnuw-Limogmpnur. washmgmn. ILC4 UNrrnb STATES WILLIAM JOHNSTON, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOSEPH FLESHIEM, AND HENRY O. FIFIELD, ALL OF SAME PLAGE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,060, dated September 28, 1886.

Application tiled July 30, 1886.

a simple and cheap construction, which may be easily operated from the top or side of the cars without going between them in coupling and uneoupling, which may be used in con-` nection with the common link-and-pin coupling new so generally in use in case the cars to be coupled together should not both be furnished with my improved coupler,which will 2o operate to automatically couple the ears together when they are butted against each other, and which at the same time may be easily set so as not to act automatically whenever it is' desired simply to push a car or cars along asA is commonly done in switching, Ste.

tially, in a pair of coupler or bumper bars on adjoining ends of two cars, which Yfit by or. alongside each other, and each of which are:

3o provided with a pivoted coupling-link of the ordinary form, and also with a cam-locking projection adapted to automatically raise the free end of the coupling-link on the opposite bumper-bar, so that it will pass over and engage said locking projection. In this way the coupling-link on each bar engages the cam-- locking projection on its companion bar, and 1 the adjoining ends of the twolinks fit between the two cam locking projections. Each of tions, and upon which the ends of the couplinglinks rest, so that by raising either one of'these u operating-levers both the coupling-links will be raised and disengaged from the notches or locking projections on the bumper-bars. The operating levers may be raised from the top of the car by a connecting-chain and lever, or 5o from the side of the car by an operating-shaft having a cam projection thereon. This shaft The object of my invention is to provide an 1 two couplers approach each other. To this end my invention consists, essen-` the bumperbars is furnished with an operating-lever or pivoted plate, having a ledge oecupying the space between the locking projec- Serial No. $209,543. (No model.)

and its cam are also adapted to hold the operatinglever in an elevated position, and the end of the operating-lever is furnished with an inclined or cam face, so that when so held it will serve toprevent either of the couplinglinks engaging the notches or locking projections on the bumper-bars when it is desired to simply push the cars without coupli-ng them together. Each of the bumper-bars is also 6o provided with ahook on its lower edge adapted to fit inside the ordinary coupling-link used on ordinary ears for the purpose of connecting a car provided with my coupler with a car provided with the ordinary coupler when desii-ed. The head of this hook is of sufficient length, so that when the pin is inserted through the link the link cannot become disengaged from the hook.

In the accompanying drawings, which form 7o a part of this speciiication, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure lis a side elevation of a device enibodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the position of the parts as the Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the bumper or coupler bars with the coupling-lii'iks almost in position for engagement. Fig. -lis asimilar view showing the coupling-links raised by the operating- 8o lever. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the links engaged. Fig. Gis a section online 66 of Fig. 2; and Eig. 7 is a View showing the method of coupling my device with a car furnished with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling. S5

In said drawings, A represents the car, B B the bumper or coupler bars, each of which is furnished with an offset, b, anda locking projection or notch, b, having a curved or inclined upper face, b, The offset b in the 9o coupler-bars adapts them to fit by each other or alongside of each other side by side, as indicated in Fig. 5. The ends bi5 of the bars B are made square, as indicated in the drawings, and, fitting against the shoulders or offsets in said bars, serve as bumpers. Each of the bars B is provided with a coupling-link, C, pivoted in a suitable notch or hole, c, in the couplerbar B. These coupling-links rest upon the hat upper face of the coupler bars, and the loo opening of the link projects over the offset b in the coupler bar or the space occupied by the end ofthe opposite coupler-bar when'the same are brought into locking position, asin Figs. l or 5. Each of the coupler-bars B is also furnished with a recess, b4, in its upper face, in which rests a projection orledge, d, on the operating-lever D. TheleverDis pivoted at d -to the coupler-bar` B. and it is raised by a cam, E, on the shaft E', which projects to the side of the car, and which is furnished with an operating Wheel or handle, E2; or it may be operated from the top of the car by a chain, F, and bent lever F. The ledge d on each of the operating-levers D projects just across the upper face of the bars B, resting in the notches if. The length of the ledges d should about equal the space between the locking-projections bb when the two couplerbars are brought into interlocking position, as indicated in Figs. l, 4, and 5. By this means the ends of both links CCwill rest upon each of the ledges d d, so that if either operating-I lever D D is elevated both links will be simultaneously disengaged from the notches or locking-projections b b on the coupler-bars B B. Each or' the coupler-bars B B is also provided with a flat spring, B, the fre`e end of which rests upon and presses against the link Gand serves to hold it down or in place. Each of Athe operating-levers D is furnished with an inclined end, di, which, when elevated into the position indicated Iin Fig. 4, serves to continue the inclined end b2 of the coupler-bar B, so that the link C on the opposite couplerbar will ride thereon, as indicated in said Fig. 4, and thus prevent both links C G from engaging the notches or locking projections b b when either of said operating-levers is raised. The cam E, when turned a little past its center, as indicated in Fig. 4, will serve to hold the operating-lever in its elevated position when it is desired to simply push the cars along with- ,out coupling them together.

c is a stop or pin to limit rhe movement of the cam E, and e is a similar stop` or pin to limit the movement of the operating-lever D.

Each of the coupler or bumper bars B B is furnished with a long hook, B, for receiving one end of an ordinary coupling-link when it is desired to connect the car with a car furnished with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling. The hook B2 is made long enough so that when inserted in the link and the ordi- 4nary coupling-pin is also inserted in the link Athe hook cannot become disengaged from the link, as indicated in Fig. 7.

In operation,as the cars approach each other, the ends ofthe bars B B pass each other, and the inclined or cam faces bz b2 raise the free ends of the pivoted links C C, asindicated in Figs. 2 and 8,'until said links automatically drop over and engage the notches or locking projections b b. v To uncouple the cars, the operator sim- 4ply raises one lever D from one side or the other of the car, .or from the top thereof. It will be observed that the shaft Eof one of the cars projects to the right side, while that of the other projects to the left. If it is desired to push the cars together without coupling them, one of the levers D is raised, asindicated in Fig. 4, the cam E being turned suftlciently far to hold the lever in its elevated position.

- I 'claiml l. The offset combined coupler and bumper bars BB, adapted to t side by side, having inclined -or cam upper faces and locking notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links O G, adapted to ride on said inclined or cam faces and t over said locking projections, said bars B B having square ends adapted to fit against the corresponding offsets or shoulders in said bars, and serve as bumpers, substantially as specified.

2. The offsetc'oupler-bars BB, adapted to fit side by side, having inclined or cam upper faces and locking'notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links C C, adapted to ride on said inclined or cam faces and fit over said locking projections, in combination with operating-levers D D, having ledges or projections d d, forthe ends of said links to rest upon, substantially as specified.

3. The offset coupler-bars B B, adapted to fit side by side, having inclined or cam upper faces and locking notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links C C, adapted to ride on saidinclined or cam faces and fit over said locking projections, incombination with operating-levers D D, having ledges or projections d d, for the ends of said links to rest upon, and operating-shafts E/ E, and cams E "E, substantially as specified.

4. The offset coupler-bars B B, adapted to fit side by side, having inclined or cam upper faces and locking notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links C C, adapted to ride on said inclined or cam faces and fit over said locking projections, in combination with operating-levers D D, having ledges or pro'- jections d d, for the ends of said links to rest upon, operating-shafts E E', and cams E E, and chain F F, land levers F F', substantially as specified. f

5. The offset coupler-bars B B, adapted to t side by side, having inclined or cam upper faces and locking notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links G (l, adapted to ride on said inclined or cam faces and lit over said locking projections, each of said couplerbars B B being also furnished with a hook, B?, at its lower edge forvengagement with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling, substantially-as specified. v

6. The offset coupler-bars B B, adapted to t side by side, having inclined or cam upper faces and locking notches or projections, and provided with pivoted links O C, adapted to ride on said inclined or cam faces andiit ove'r said locking projections, in combination with operating-levers D D, having ledges or projections d d, for the ends of said links to rest upon, said levers D D having inclined ends adapted to continue the inclined faces of said coupler-bars when said levers are raised and ICO IIO

' having offsets b b, the ends of said couplerbarsadapted to abut against said offsets as bumpers, said coupler-bars being furnished with locking projections or notches b b', in-

clined upper faces b2 b2, coupling-links C C, 15

pivoted to said coupler-bars near their upper edges and adapted to rest on their fiat upper faces, operating-levers D D, having ledges d d and inclined ends d2 d2, said coupler-bars B B being furnished with notches d* d for said zo ledges D D to rest in, cam E E, and operatingshafts E' E', substantially as specified.

- WILLIAM JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

JOSEPH FLEsHIEM, HENRY W. PARKER. 

